Hull spray reducing construction



June 20; 19391 w. s. DIEHL 2,162,705

' .HULL SPRAY REDUCING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 22, 1958 (NVENTOR WALTER S. DIEHI.

v ATTORNEY Patented .iiine'zo, 1 939 UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE (Grantod'under the act a March a, 1883, a amended April so, 1928; :10 o. G. 151) This invention relates to a hull spray reducing construction and has for an object to provide a structure which may be applied to flying boat hulls, hydroplane or seaplane floats, for the purpose of reducing the spray normally kicked up by the hull and causing such spray to bear rearwardly and downwardly away from the hull and away from the wing or tail surfaces when the hull is part of an aircraft.

.A further object of this invention is to provide 7 a spray reducing construction which may be applied to hulls according to the individual needs thereof for this purpose.

A still further object of invention is to 16 provide a spray reducing construction consisting of a. plurality of steps which may be angularly applied to the outer edges of the bottom of the V of the hull. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and'arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawing, in which, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the hull to which this invention has .beenapplied; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the invention; and

. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on lined-4 of Fig. 1. 'I 'here is shown at iii a hull of the planing type, and may be either a hydroplane hull or a flying boat or seaplane hull. This hull ID has the usual keel line H separating the sides I 2 and I3 of the V bottom of the forward part of the hull,

which, in turn, is separated by the conventional step it from the after portion I5 of the bottom.

' In order to reduce the spray normally present in use of the conventional hull over a water surface, a plurality of steps I8 comprising this invention are placed along the edges of the V bottoms i2 and 13, preferably in such a manner that the vertical sides or bases ll of the steps are in the same vertical plane with the side it of the hull. These steps it are placed at an angle approximately from to 60 degrees longi- 45 tudinally of the hull. The rear face i9 of the step It is preferably vertical, while the forward surface 28 is smoothly curved or flared forwardly to merge -tangentially with the bottom surfaces i2 and i3. These tetrahedronal steps i6 may be spaced from each. other as desired, according to the characteristicsof the hull. If desired, they may be spaced so closely that the forward edge of the flared surface moi one step may end just back of the vertical face it of the step next foras ward thereto, or they may be spaced apart as shown, or further so according to the number of steps found desirable on a particular size of hull to effect the desired result of eliminating the spray from going forward and upward of the hull, and

' instead, causing it to beat rearwardly and down-.

wardlyof the hull, thereby eliminating the corrosion and the resistance normally caused by the 'spray striking the under wing or tail surfaces when the hull is part of an. aircraft.

In operation, the steps I6 may be applied in 10 any desired manner. They may be either an integral part of the hull with their side l'l forming an integral extension of the side l8 of the hull, or they may be separate, individual steps, each of which is integrally secured to the particular 15 hull at the desired proper angle by riveting, bolting or otherwise fastening it thereto.

Other modifications and changes in the proportions and arrangements of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without depart- 20 ing from the nature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental 25 purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A hull spray reducing construction compris- 3 ing a plurality of steps placed along the outer under edges of the bottom of the hull, said steps each being in the form of a tetrahedron having its apex forward of its base and having its base side coinciding with the chine of the hull. 35

' 2. A step construction for application to a hull to reduce thespray, said step construction being applied in a series along the outer edges of the bottom of the hull, said step construction being in the form of a tetrahedron. 40

3. A step construction for application to a hull to reduce the spray, said step construction being applied in a series along the outer edges of the I bottom of the hull, said step construction being in the form of a tetrahedron, said tetrahedron having one curved surface, said curved surface being adapted to extend forwardly and merge tangentially with the bottom of the hull to which it is applied.

4. A step construction for application to a hull 50 to reduce the spray, said step construction being applied in a series along the outer edges of the bottom of the hull, said step construction being in the form of a tetrahedron, said tetrahedron having one curved surface, said curved surface being adapted to extend forwardly and merge tangentially with the bottom of the hull to which it is applied, a rear surface adapted to extend vertically to the hull to which it is applied, a base surface whose lane is adapted to coincide with the plane of the side of the hull, and a top surface adapted to be placed against the bottom of the hull, the plane of the vertical rear surface from the base to its apex being at an angle of from approximately 45 to 60 degrees to the longi tudinal direction of the hull. 5. A hull spray reducing construction comprising a plurality of steps located along the outer portion of the hull bottom, said steps each being .WAL'I'ER s. 13mm.

. theh ll keel and forward of the tetrahedron base. 

